


I'm an artist now!

by IlliterateLady



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 02:01:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15764325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IlliterateLady/pseuds/IlliterateLady
Summary: Tenn and AJ decide to hold a drawing contest. The subject that they choose to portray is quite peculiar...





	I'm an artist now!

As the sun was setting over Ericson’s Boarding School for Troubled Youth, Clementine took off her cap and sighed, stretching her back and wiping her furrowed brow. 

Killing walkers was tiring, but taking care of the once unkept greenhouse was no joke either.

When Clementine had expressed interest in it, Marlon had said that it was not worth maintaining it but she eventually succeeded to convince him by bringing up the fact that they didn’t have enough food for the winter and that she would have taken full responsibility for the greenhouse and every single vegetable or fruit in it.

And now her poor joints were paying for it. Well, not really. She was pretty accustomed to doing manual labor and she took pride in what they managed to accomplish with their now semi-acceptable “garden”. 

Clementine closed the door with a weary smile and started strolling towards the yard.

The best thing after a day of work, especially during a zombie apocalypse, was a good meal.  
Her dinner would probably consist in beans, but Clementine couldn’t complain because dinner time meant that she got to see AJ after hours and hours of labor.

As she approached the tables, she could see him with a pleased smile on his face and a big bowl in front of him. 

“Clem, over here!” AJ gestured to the seat next to him, “I got you your ration!”

Clementine grinned, ruffling his hair. She sat at the table and hastily greeted the others before digging hungrily into her undefined soup. She swallowed the last mouthful with a satisfied murmur and finally lifted her head from the bowl.

She saw Louis sitting waving a deck of cards trying to catch her attention, with Violet and Marlon sitting next to him. They were ready for their daily card game.

She gestured for them to give her a minute and she turned to her left: AJ had left during her feast and she wanted to quickly check on him. 

He was sitting next to Tenn, each of them with a pencil and a sheet of paper in front of them. They were whispering between each other and they were sending scrutinizing glances towards her and something in the far distance.

As Clementine approached them, they started scribbling on the paper. Tenn seemed at ease but profoundly absorbed in his task, AJ had his tongue sticking out in concentration and a scrunched-up expression on his face. They had a stack of Sophie’s crayons in front of them, perfectly aligned and ready to use.

“Hey goofball”, said Clementine with an amused smile, “what are you two doing?”

AJ didn’t raise his head from the paper and simply responded, “We’re drawing”. He seemed much more focused than his companion, the crease on his forehead becoming even deeper after every quick glance thrown at what he was trying to emulate meticulously. 

“Well, I can see that. Are you drawing anything in particular?” Clementine crossed her arms with a lopsided grin. Alvin Junior and Tenn were becoming the best of friends, even though they had their disagreements in the past. She was grateful for their friendship and for the good influence that it was having on AJ’s life. Clementine had mostly been on the run with adults her whole life, and she had missed, sometimes, the presence of her peers. 

Tenn lifted his eyes from the paper and looked at her with a kind smile, “We’re drawing you…”

Clementine’s grin broadened, she tilted her head and opened her mouth, ready to express her smugness.

“…and Violet!” AJ quickly added. “You see, this is you and this is her,” He pointed at the two shakily drawn stick figures. “You’re holding hands!”

Clementine goggled at them, completely unable to keep her cool or form a coherent response. Those where indeed her and Violet, both of them wielding their weapons with a curvy smile. There was a little, asymmetrical hearth between their heads. 

Her mouth was wide open when Tenn held up his drawing and showed his rendition of the two girls, “You see, I wanted to shake things up a bit so I drew Violet with your cap.”

“Oh, that’s a nice touch!”

“Thank you, AJ.” Tenn looked at Clementine with a concerned expression, “Are you ok? Is this making you unconf—”

Clementine rapidly shacked her head and forced her biggest smile, still completely puzzled by the situation.

“You two are really talented!” she continued smiling, her cheeks reddening rapidly by the second, “AJ, you’ve improved a lot!”

“Tenn has been giving me good advice,” He revealed with a smirk. And then, with a glint of competitiveness in his eyes, he added, “But I still wanted to challenge him”.

They both chuckled and Clementine decided to join awkwardly. She made a weird sound, then cleared her throat and pointed behind her, “W-well, I have to go. I have a card game, you know? With Marlon, Louis and…” Her voice went up an octave at that, “and Violet”

She forced a toothless smile once again and quickly pivoted on her heel, leaving the not-to-surreptitious snickers of the two kids behind her. Oh, she would deal with those two later.

 

As she neared the game table, she could feel her stomach churning and the heat rising to her ears. Her brain was finally able to connect her thoughts and she felt even more nervous. Yes, she couldn’t deny that she had thought about it. It was inevitable, with those talks, the compliments, the unexpected smiles and—

“Clem, finally! We thought you had ditched us for the cool kids!” Louis joked with a smirk while shuffling the cards.

“Yeah slowpoke, sit down and let’s play.”

Clementine raised her eyes towards the voice and then quickly diverted them. She couldn’t even glance at Violet right now. She sat in front of Marlon, he regarded her with a pensive yet knowing expression. She took her stack of cards and swiftly turned the first one, “You ready to lose?”

The game went on as usual, with jabs and insults here and there. Clementine started feeling more at ease and she even spared a glance at Violet. They both smiled and a little bit of redness returned on Clementine’s cheeks. 

“Well, it’s time for me to go” exhaled Marlon. “We have another long day tomorrow and I would like to sleep for more than four hours.”

Louis yawned and nodded, “You’re right,” He got up and smirked slyly, “Sweet dreams ladies, don’t stay up too late.”

Violet flipped him off and Louis just winked, leaving them with a chuckle.

Clementine promptly stared at the table, the uncomfortable tension from before was back and she could feel Violet’s gaze burning on her. She dared a peek and saw a sad and confused expression on Violet’s face. She instantly felt mortified and hinted a smile, “Violet, do you think that we could talk later? If you can, obviously! I don’t want to bother you…”

Violet immediately seemed more relieved but still concerned, “Sure thing, Clem. I’ll catch up with you later.” 

Clementine stood up and smiled at Violet once more, trying to let her know that everything was fine. AJ and Tenn were done coloring their drawings and they were now lively discussing and confronting their works. 

“AJ, it’s time to go to bed”, Clementine said softly. She didn’t want to startle them and she genuinely enjoyed AJ’s playful interactions with his friend. 

AJ’s head instantly turned towards her. “Clem!”, he yelled, “So, what do you think? Which one is better?”

AJ took the two sheets of paper and put them side to side. Clementine regarded the drawings seriously, putting aside her embarrass for the moment. She brought her right hand to her chin and scratched it pensively. 

“AJ, why do we have three fingers?” 

“Art is subjective, Clem” rebutted AJ.

“Nice save, smarty pants”, smirked Clementine. “But to answer your question, I can’t really tell. They are both really good.” She thought they were super cute and that made her even more bashful. She tried to regain some confidence, “I’m not an expert, so I can’t choose”.

“Well, then we should ask Violet!” retorted AJ. 

Tenn decided to add fuel to the fire, “You’re right, it’s only fair. After all, she’s in our drawings too.”

“Oh no, no.” Clementine suddenly realized that she had put her hands in front of herself and she quickly put them down, “There’s no need for that. And besides, we really have to go to bed. AJ, come on.”

“Too late, she’s already coming here!”

Clementine froze in her steps and prepared for the incoming embarrassment.

“Hey, shouldn’t you two kids be sleeping?” Violet asked crossing her arms. “You’ll finish your drawings tomorrow”.

Tenn and AJ shared a quick glance and then nodded, almost like they just had a whole conversation telepathically. AJ put facedown the drawings that he was still holding and promptly said, “You’re right, I’m going to bed. See you later, Clem!”

Clementine wanted to protest and go with him, but Tenn anticipated her, “I’m really tired, I’ll accompany AJ to his room and then I’ll go to bed as well.” He started following AJ but then he suddenly stopped and said over his shoulder, “Oh, by the way, we have called off the contest. Those drawings are for you two. Good night!”

And with that, they were gone. 

Violet threw a quick look to the drawings and then to Clementine’s bashful face with a spark of curiosity in her eyes. She silently approached the table and took the two sheets of paper.

She turned them and stared at the drawings for what felt like a century. Clementine didn’t know where to look. She finally stopped her frantic eyes over Violet’s face. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes were focused on the papers in front of her, her mouth was closed in a thin line. Clementine could feel her heartbeat quickening, both because of her fear of Violet’s reaction and the fact that the darkness was enveloping them, making Violet’s features even more accentuated in the light of the fire. 

Just then, Violet turned towards her, seemingly at loss for words. She tightened her hold on the drawings and slowly raised her until she met Clementine’s. 

“Have you seen these?” Violet’s voice was small and feeble, almost quavering. 

Clementine nodded, not daring to divert her eyes.

Violet looked at the drawings again, and after a beat a sweet smile began to form on her lips. A faint and gentle blush started to creep up from her cheeks and Clementine could only stare and flush in return. She had never seen Violet like this, so timid and gentle. 

And then Violet directed that lovely smile at her and simply said, “Cute”.

Clementine gulped, put on a brave face and moved closer to Violet. Come on, she could do it. She had faced and fought scarier things.

“I think they are cute too.”

The two girls were watching the drawings intently, not daring to look at each other.  
Clementine saw Violet smirking out of the corner of her eye. They were so close.

Violet gestured for AJ’s drawing, “I really like the weapons”. There was more than a hint of amusement in her voice.

Clementine nodded, agreeing. “I really like the heart”.

Violet chuckled softly and blushed even more, her eyes encountered Clementine’s honest ones.

“Have you—” a pause, “Have you ever thought about that?”

Clementine didn’t have to ask what Violent meant by “that”.

Clementine replied without missing a beat, “Yes. More than once.”

They both looked at each other and smiled once again. Violet moved even closer to Clementine, who was desperately clenching her fists. They simultaneously looked back down at the drawings succumbing to the embarrassment and the intimacy of the moment but still wearing two delightful smiles. 

Their heads bumped gently as they were pretending to look at the drawings and they grinned sheepishly, both their hurts thumping even faster and stronger.

“We should hang them up” said Clementine.

An approving hum came from her left.

The cracking of the fire, the buzzing of the insects and the noise of the sleepy kids were just distant and fading noises. The two girls stood still, nothing could disturb them. Not even a herd of moaning walkers could break that moment. 

“You know,” Violet whispered softly as she raised Tenn’s drawing in front of her “I would look really good with your hat on”. She slowly turned her head towards Clementine with a cheeky smirk, “Even better than you, may I say”.

Clementine smiled and shoved Violet’s shoulder gently.

“Oh, shut up”.


End file.
